This morning's Desert Skiff review was a bit brief, for which I apologise. It had slipped my mind that the summer SW sets are not yet out in the US, so many of you are eager to know more about them before their release so you can make informed purchasing decisions. So I'll take my time with them\ reviews from now on...

Next up then, is 9499-1 Gungan Sub. This is one of the more iconic vehicles in Episode 1, and this has obviously been released to coincide with the 3D version of the movie hitting the theatres this year.

The set also contains one of the most iconic characters from Episode 1: Queen Amidala. A minifig version of her in full ceremonial regalia has been anticipated since the original release of the Episode 1 sets in 1999.

It's likely then, that you'll want to buy this set...

This is the second Gungan Sub to be made, the first one being 7161 from 1999. It looks very crude in comparison to the new version. One definite improvement you can see straight away, is that the three minfigs all fit in the cockpit, which wasn't the case for the old one.

Here's the back of the box showing the craft and the minifigures.

Inside the box you'll find five numbered bags, two instruction books, and four lengths of blue flex. The instructions are regular-quality and not printed on the thick glossy paper found in the Desert Skiff.

The sticker sheet is not shown in the picture. Unfortunately it's printed on white backing plastic so the stickers are likely to peel over time. I won't therefore be applying them.

Here's the contents of bag 1: the rear propulsion unit that detaches from the main ship, a couple of crates and what is probably a mine or something...

And let's not forget, everyone's favourite Gungan: Jar Jar Binks!

This is the same as the one that appeared in 7929 Battle of Naboo, from last year.

Bag 2 contains the base of the cockpit and the three remaining minifigs.

This is a quick build. The anchor is the new type introduced last year in the PotC sets, but this is its first apperance in blue.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are new. Obi-Wan has a new torso and head. Qui-Gon looks the same as the one in 7961 Sith Infiltrator...

...until you turn their heads round to reveal their underwater rebreathers.

The bag also contains Amidala and this is how she's packed. The polybag packaging suggests that the components are made in China. However, that is not a problem because they are excellent miniature works of art as you will see...

Here she is, then, in all her glory:

Her hair and headpiece is truly magnificent: the moulding and printing is flawless. The alignment of the printing on the torso and dress is pretty much spot-on. The base of the dress is circular and the same size as a 4x4 round plate.

She's a beauty for sure, and well worth the 13 year wait we've had for her. The manufacturing capabilities of LEGO have improved tremendously in that time and it's doubtful whether something this good could have been made back then. You just have to compare the old and new Gungan heads, for example, to see how things have improved.

LEGO has certainly played it cleverly putting such a desirable figure in this expensive set where, it could be argued, she doesn't really belong. Even if you don't like the sub. you'll need to buy the set for her alone. The aftermarket price is bound to be high: in fact someone has one listed for £30 on eBay.co.uk at the moment. I don't suppose that'll drop much in time given the likely demand for her.

Bag 3 builds the left side of the sub which is very cleverly constructed to form its curved sides.

Bag 4 is the same build, mirrored, for the right hand side. There is a lot of slopes, inverted slopes (underneath, which can't be seen in the pictures) and the new curved 2x4 slopes used in the construction.

Bag 5 completes the build, adding the top and back. The camopies are new, I believe. I tried to photograph them separately but it was near-impossible to do so.

The rear propulsion unit plugs into the back and the finished model looks like this:

The three minifigs all fit quite comfortably into the cockpit, although I did have take the Jedis' capes off to get them in.

Overall I think this is an excellent set. It's an interesting build, full of useful pieces, and the end product looks great and exactly as it should do. The arguably superfluous minifig Queen Amidala is the icing on the cake and makes this the 'must have' Star Wars set of this summer. It is undoubtably expensive (£55 in the UK, probably $60 in the US) but on this occasion, I think it's worth it: a great model and even greater minifigs!